How to Report a Crime

If you witness a crime or are unfortunate to be the victim of a crime, it is important to report the event as soon as possible. How you report a crime will depend on the severity of the criminal activity, the threat to yourself and those around you and whether or not the crime has been committed or is currently ongoing.

The following guide offers information on how to report a crime in different circumstances, including emergency crimes, anti-social behaviour crimes and how to remain anonymous should you so wish.

How to Report an Emergency Crime

In cases of an emergency, such as an attack, mugging or if you witness a serious crime taking place, it is essential that you call 999. This is the number that should be used to report a crime that is urgent, ongoing or an emergency.

A call to 999 will be answered in less than ten seconds in most cases, and a trained call handler will take details of the crime. This should include what has happened or is happening, the location, important witness details and your name if you are prepared to give it.

For emergency crimes, a police officer will be dispatched to talk to you further and to take a more detailed statement. If the crime is ongoing when you call, multiple police officers may be dispatched to attempt to stop the crime from progressing and to make arrests where necessary. A witness statement may then be taken from you and any witnesses.

Reporting a non-emergency crime

If you need to report a non-emergency crime, such as a bike being stolen or graffiti, the report can be made in person by visiting the local police station. Alternatively, you can call 101 which is the number to be used for non-emergency cases, and this will direct you to your local police.

Phoning 101 should be used when the crime is minor or reporting it is not a matter of urgency. By using this number instead of 999, you ensure that 999 call handlers can quickly deal with the most urgent of crimes and incidents.

101 can also be used if you have any general enquiry that you'd like to put to the police or if you have information relating to crime in your area that is less time-sensitive.

Remaining Anonymous When Reporting a Crime

It is possible to remain anonymous when reporting a crime or when giving police further information about a crime. Some people choose to do this because they feel safer by not revealing their name. Others choose to remain anonymous because they want as little involvement in a case as possible but want to assist the police.

To remain anonymous when reporting a crime, calls should be made to Crimestoppers using the number - 0800 555 111. Alternatively, online reports can be given at the Crimestoppers website.

Crime Stoppers will take details from you relating to the crime, but they won't ask for your personal information, and so you will remain anonymous.

Reporting Antisocial Behaviour Crimes

If you want to report antisocial behaviour, the initial step is to contact your local police team. The local police will work closely with other residents and neighbourhood schemes to reduce antisocial behaviour, and they are likely to know about any concerns within the area.

The local police can offer you and other residents advice and support and work with you to build a plan to tackle antisocial behaviour. If the behaviour includes noise problems, the local council will also be able to offer advice and can directly issue orders to tackle the problems.

Reporting Hate Crimes

Hate crime refers to any crime that is motivated by targeting a person or people because of their:

Race

Culture

Religion

Sexual Orientation

Disabilities

Hate crimes are treated very seriously by the police and reports of such a crime will be prioritised. If you are the victim of a hate crime or are aware of such a crime taking place, a report should be made to the police as quickly as possible. Many police forces have officers who are dedicated to dealing with hate crime.

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